The vernal equinox calls on all mankind to recognize and respect Earth’s
beautiful systems of balance, between the presence of animals on land, the
fish in the sea, birds in the air, mankind, water, air, and land.
Most importantly there must always be awareness of the actions by people
that can disturb this precious balance.-
Margaret Mead

The Tale of The Two Earth Days

The first EARTH DAY, celebrated in the United States, was on March 21, 1970.
It has been celebrated each year thereafter at the United Nations, bringing
attention to its original purpose: peace, justice and the care of Earth.

Earth Day March

Earth Day -was first proposed by John McConnell in early October 1969 to a few
members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and other community leaders
especially interested in caring for and improving our natural environment.

John McConnell

On November 25, 1969, the final day of the UNESCO National Conference, "Man, and
His Environment," Cynthia Wayburn, one of the youth leaders on Mr. McConnell's
Earth Day Committee, presented the idea and showed the Earth Flag during this
presentation at the luncheon.

On March 21, 1970. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the
City of Saint Francis, patron saint of ecology.

United Nations Symbol

Designating the First Day of Spring, March 21, 1970 to be Earth Day, this day
was later sanctioned in a Proclamation signed by Secretary General U Thant at
the United Nations where it is observed each year. From the beginning the
proposal called for observance of Earth Day on March 21st, which is the Vernal
Equinox. This is the moment when night and day are equal throughout the Earth
--reminding us of Earth's beautiful systems of balance which humanity has
partially upset and must restore. From Humanity's earliest history people of
many cultures have celebrated this day as the beginning of spring - symbolizing
renewal of life.

Earth Day will be observed
at United Nations Headquarters in New York City the first day of spring
(Nature's Day) in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.
At exactly 14:16 Eastern Standard, the moment of the vernal equinox, the Peace
Bell will ring at the UN in New York followed by two minutes of silent prayer or
meditation. At the same moment the Peace Bell at the United Nations in
Vienna will ring.

Earth Day
founder John McConnell

Earth Day April 22

Senator Gaylord Nelson and Denis Hayes, founder of The Bullitt Foundation, are
the founders of this Earth Day.

Gaylord Nelson

Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and a long time
conservationist, was one who understood that the methods developed for use
in the anti-war protest could succeed in other areas as well. "At the
time," Nelson later wrote, "there was a great deal of turmoil on the
college campuses over the Vietnam War. Protests, called anti-war
teach-ins, were being widely held on campuses across the nation.... It
suddenly occurred to me, why not have a nationwide teach-in on the
environment? That was the origin of Earth Day."

Nelson began promoting Earth Day to state governors, mayors of major cities,
editors of college newspapers, and, importantly, to Scholastic Magazine, which
is circulated in U.S. elementary and high schools. In September, 1969 Nelson
formally announced that there would be a "national environmental teach-in"
sometime in the Spring of 1970. "The wire services carried the story
nationwide," recalled Nelson. "The response was dramatic.... Telegrams, letters,
and telephone inquiries poured in from all over the nation. Using my Senate
staff, I ran Earth Day activities out of my office. By December, the movement
had expanded so rapidly that it became necessary to open an office in Washington
to serve as a national clearinghouse for Earth Day inquiries and activities.

"Earth Day achieved what I had hoped for. The objective was to get a nationwide
demonstration of concern for the environment so large that it would shake the
political arena. It was a gamble, but it worked. An estimated 20 million people
participated in peaceful demonstrations all across the country. Ten thousand
grade schools and high schools, two thousand colleges, and one thousand
communities were involved... That was the remarkable thing that became Earth
Day."

Dennis Hayes works on the first "environmen-tal teach-in," April 1970

The name national environmental teach-in was later changed to Earth Day.
"For many years prior to Earth Day, it had been troubling to me that the state
of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of our country. The
President, the Congress, the economic power structure of the nation and the
press paid almost no attention to this issue, which is of such staggering import
to our future. It was clear that until we somehow got this matter into the
political arena -- until it became part of the national political dialogue --
not much would ever be achieved." said Senator Nelson. Senator Nelson argued
early and often against the Vietnam war, and helped pass major environmental
laws in the Senate.

Data compiled from The
British Antarctic Study, NASA, Environment Canada, UNEP, EPA and
other sources as stated and credited Researched by Charles
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